Driving from Berlin to Belgium, a short detour will take you to a castle a short drive from Bonn and Cologne. Drachenfels ( Dragon’s Rock) refers to the medieval ruins at the top of the peak, but there is also an impressive modern interpretation of a castle three-quarters of the way uphill.
History of the Drachenfels
Siegfried, the hero of the Nibelungenlied, is said to have killed the dragon Fafnir here and bathed in its blood to become invulnerable. History alone is reason enough to visit.
Further down to earth, the castle sits on the seven hills of Siebengebirge between Königswinter and Bad Honnef. Drachenfels is a hill within the Siebengebirge Highlands and looks out over the Rhine from a height of 1,053 feet (321 meters). The rock of the mountain was formed by an ancient volcano and was used as a quarry for trachytes in Roman times. The stone from the site was used to build the iconic Cologne Cathedral.
The history of the fortress began as a defense from attackers from the south. Arnold I, the Archbishop of Cologne, ordered its construction from 1138 to 1167. But the development of the fortress was undone in 1634 when an archbishop tore it down during the Thirty Years’ War. Erosion continued the work of man and today there is little debris from the previous structure on top of the hill.
That doesn’t mean it was the end of Drachenfels. It was still a popular stop for Rhine romantics with notable visits from elites like Lord Byron. Today’s visitors often come to the picturesque Schloss Drachenburg, a neo-Gothic castle from 1882 commissioned by Baron Stephan von Sarter. It has had numerous private owners, each leaving an eccentric twist on the castle (think of the potential Zeppelin airstrip, amusement park, and 1970s disco parties).
It is now owned by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and is open to the public. Its elaborate rooms and stately grounds offer stunning views of the river and valley below and on a clear day, visitors to the castle can even see the towers of Cologne Cathedral.
Visitando Castle Drachenburg
The castle’s modern origins (by European standards) mean that little is really old about the Schloss , but it’s still worth a visit. The nod to multiple early German architectural styles is a form of flattery and is a great example of 19th century opulence. People agree as the site attracts more than 120,000 visitors a year.
A bistro, restaurant, and shop are also available on the grounds and for those not interested in climbing the steep hill, there is a historic funicular that takes visitors from the bottom up.
How to get to Drachenfels
Address : Drachenfelsstrasse 118, 53639 Königswinter Germany
By train :
Cologne (Köln) – Koblenz Route (RE8 or RB27) with a stop in Königswinter every 30 minutes.
By car:
From Cologne (Cologne): Take the A555 to Bonn and the A565 Bonn, Beuel Nord, then the A59 towards Königswinter and continue on the B42.
- From Ruhr area: take A3, then A59 and continue on B42 to Königswinter.
- From Frankfurt : follow the A3 until the Siebengebirge / Ittenbach exit, then follow the street towards Königswinter.
- From Koblenz : Take the B42 along the Rhine to Königswinter, or take the B9 / Bonn and the Rhine Ferry to Königswinter.
Boat
Multiple Rhine River cruises stop at Drachenfels.
Admission to Schloss Drachenburg
- Adults: 7 euros
- Children / Discount (students, elderly, disabled): 5 euros
- Family ticket: 17 euros
